Time and Time Again
by Son Goshen
Summary: Oneshot, Zelink. Life as a hero may have been hard, but it didn't matter much when Zelda was with him. "I love you," he whispered.


**Edited as of July 31, 2012.**

**Disclaimer: I obviously do not own LOZ.  
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"This is your destiny… Remember… Link, this is not just a simple burden… It is to be carried as long as the world will exist, and until the day it ceases to, you will be the Hero… till then... Fear not, though… I'll be with you."

Those words shaped his life and his lives after the first. Like the Goddesses had decreed, he always lived to be the Hero of Time, the one who repeatedly saved Hyrule. It was always the same evil, the same one that was filled with infinite anger, vengeance, and hate. The being was initially named Demise, though the name transformed when he was reincarnated repeatedly through the years. He first rose against the goddess of the land, Hylia. Despite the great power he possessed, and the horrific army of beasts and monsters he had under his command, he was defeated. But what was the cost? It was the life of the first Hero.

Yes, that was Link's first life and his first death, one that was filled with sorrow and regret, yet tinged with a bittersweet happiness in knowing his comrades would live and carry on the duties of the people, and as the years passed would establish a new land in the sky, one called Skyloft.

He still remembered. It was always after he died when the memories rushed back in, weaving a long story of his previous incarnations. And the beginning of it all: it came back to the creation of the world, of the goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore…

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_"Sisters, we know our responsibility that will come with the creation of the world." The voice belonged to Din, the goddess of power. She created the earth. Her flame-red hair fell in waves, tied in a large pony tail._

_"Of course," Nayru replied. Her face was set in a thoughtful expression as she began to think about all the possibilities. Perhaps they'll utilize a guardian beast…_

_Farore knew what the goddess of Wisdom would be thinking of. "I think," she said in her gentle, soothing voice, "is that we need a human. The one needs to be able to be wise enough and strong, not just a mindless brute with its mind set to a specific thing. The human will also have to have courage. Standing up against evil for justice will not be a simple thing."_

_And Hylia, the youngest, stayed silent. She, perhaps, had the greatest job of them all. She was to guard the life that Farore had created, and that comes with great responsibility._

_"I concede your point," Nayru responded to the goddess of Courage. "You speak the truth. I may side with you. What do you have to say, Din? Hylia?"_

_Din simply gave a nod and said no more. _

_"I would agree, but with it I have a request," said Hylia._

_Farore tilted her head to the left in confusion and motioned with her hands for her to continue._

_"I wish to have the Hero as my hero." Silence met her words. "That is to say," she added, "I wish for him to fight in my name."_

_"Well…" responded Nayru slowly, "that certainly is an odd request, sister, but I do not have anything against it. Nor do I think the other sisters have an issue with it."_

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_In a later time, the goddesses met together. Kneeling in front of them was a young man. His face had elfin features, ears long and sharp, his face fair. He had messy blond locks, strands falling forward to his eyes. The man had a medium build, not so muscular as one would imagine a hero might be, but more lean. _

_Hylia couldn't help but think what a great work Farore had done, and that this man was handsome and perfect for the role he would play for the eons after._

_"Rise," Din commanded._

_He willingly obliged and stood up. Hylia also noticed he was rather tall._

_"Now, you know the reason we have brought you, correct?" Nayru questioned._

_The man nodded._

_"You are prepared to accept?" Farore said. He hesitated. "I mean," she quickly added, "this isn't supposed to be forced upon you. You still have a choice. As your patron, I could send you to the earth and give you a normal life as all the others of your race have."_

_Yet he said, "Farore, my creator and patron, I accept this duty."_

_"And you will fight in Hylia's name," she reminded him._

_"Yes, that as well," he amended. He looked over to the young goddess and gave her a small smile._

_"Then… young man, you shall now be known as Link, the Hero of Time… the Savior of Hyrule…"_

Link guessed that the Goddesses would never have thought that evil would strike so soon. It was only a few centuries later when Demise was created and rebelled. That marked the birth of the first Hero, and it wasn't a happy one. He had Din, Nayru, and Farore on his side, but it wasn't enough to persuade everyone that there was trouble stirring. Instead, he was cast into the dungeons. That prison became his home for the next few years, always bound in chains. Sometimes he even forgot wonders in the world of light, such as the warmth of the sun on his skin, or the gentle cool breeze that would blow past. And of course, when Demise did finally attack, many perished. Those deaths could've been prevented! The very same people who locked him came crawling back, begging him to return to the role of the Hero and Savior. Which he obviously did…

He proved himself worthy in Hylia's eyes, earned the crimson loftwing, and all those other victories. But all that lead to a painful ending. Yes, he fought, and saved his people by using the Master Sword to send them into the sky. It hurt to see his friends scream as they desperately tried to reach toward him. No, he wasn't with them. He was on the surface and just smiled sadly as the land flew further upwards.

Link had a fatal wound to his side. He was dying, but managed to save the people. Such a sad ending. He dimly remembered Hylia appearing, hugging him. She whispered his name, and as he took his last breath, he swore he saw the goddess crying.

And that was the end.

It was also painful, but who was he to complain? He accepted the fate as Hero, but why did it have to be so hard? And now, the only solace he could find was that hopefully, it will be a long time before he has to serve his duty again.

Or maybe not.

"Link!" someone called out. His eyes searched the infinite expanse of heaven and found the source of the voice. His breath caught.

Zelda.

She looked just like a goddess. Link chuckled inwardly at his choice of words. She was once Hylia, after all.

"Why the long face?" she asked with a smile. Ever so optimistic. He chose not to answer and pulled her into a big hug.

"Eep!" the Princess squeaked. She squirmed around, but his hold was simply too strong.

Link laughed. "Is it really that uncomfortable to have me hug you? It's not my fault you're so adorable," he teased. He could tell that Zelda would be blushing. That was how she was.

So there was a reason for existing after all, maybe. His beautiful Princess would always be by his side.

Life as a hero may have been hard, but it didn't matter much when Zelda was with him.

"I love you," he whispered.

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**End. This is really just my personal interpretation on the spin of things. Also, the part about the first hero was not made up by me. XD It was in the prequel manga for Skyward Sword, and that was what happened. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! I would greatly appreciate it if you review. ;)**


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